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Veins in your penis will usually have a blue color, but sometimes you may have what looks like a "vein" appear that wasn't there before, but it's something else. It may be accompanied by some swelling, particularly around the corona (head) of your penis, and often it appears after some vigorous sexual activity.

This is often a lymph channel inflammation. Lymph channels usually follow near blood vessels, but the lymph system has no pump to move the fluid. Irritation of soft tissue, such as prolonged masturbation, vigorous intercourse, or even confinement, can cause an irritation of the lymph channels, particularly below the head (corona) of your penis.

It is usually accompanied by some discomfort, especially when further irritated by additional handling. The swelling may be mild or severe. Your doctor may recommend a supervised regimen of high-dose anti-inflammatory drugs for a prolonged time period (do not try this on your own). This may or may not help.

Treatment REQUIRES leaving the area alone. That means no sex or masturbation until at least a week after it appears to be completely healed. If you aggravate the area, the swelling is very likely to get worse or persist longer. These inflammatory situations usually disappear on their own as suddenly and mysteriously as they appear. It may take 2-6 weeks for it to go away, but make sure you give additional time to heal so the irritation doesn't come right back.

Some exchange members have also tried a cream that helps clear lymph congestion to speed up the healing process (found under Resources in this Exchange). Use with caution if you decide to try this.

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871 Replies |Report This| Share this:What is this hard "vein" and swelling on my penis?Veins in your penis will usually have a blue color, but sometimes you may have what looks like a "vein" appear that wasn't there before, but it's something else. It may be accompanied by some swelling, particularly around the corona (head) of your penis, and often it appears after some vigorous sexual activity.

This is often a lymph channel inflammation. Lymph channels usually follow near blood vessels, but the lymph system has no pump to move the fluid. Irritation of soft tissue, such as prolonged masturbation, vigorous intercourse, or even confinement, can cause an irritation of the lymph channels, particularly below the head (corona) of your penis.

It is usually accompanied by some discomfort, especially when further irritated by additional handling. The swelling may be mild or severe. Your doctor may recommend a supervised regimen of high-dose anti-inflammatory drugs for a prolonged time period (do not try this on your own). This may or may not help.

Treatment REQUIRES leaving the area alone. That means no sex or masturbation until at least a week after it appears to be completely healed. If you aggravate the area, the swelling is very likely to get worse or persist longer. These inflammatory situations usually disappear on their own as suddenly and mysteriously as they appear. It may take 2-6 weeks for it to go away, but make sure you give additional time to heal so the irritation doesn't come right back.

Some exchange members have also tried a cream that helps clear lymph congestion to speed up the healing process (found under Resources in this Exchange). Use with caution if you decide to try this.

You cannot control or avoid morning erections. Some people have them, others do not. Regardless, men on average have 2-3 temporary erections during the night. Erections do not influence the healing of lymph inflammation whatsoever.

Thanks for your Reply!

Report This| Share this:What is this hard "vein" and swelling on my penis?You cannot control or avoid morning erections. Some people have them, others do not. Regardless, men on average have 2-3 temporary erections during the night. Erections do not influence the healing of lymph inflammation whatsoever.

Im 23 yrs old and about a week and a half ago, i noticed a a lot of veins coming on my penis at once, on the shaft a few blue veins appearing one on the top and to top it of a vessel on the right side and top of my penis is sticking out, i touched it and its soft but they both havent gone down. I don't feel any pain as of yet but slight discomfort.Im guessing it may be swollen from masturbation but i dunno,Iv read that drinking Apple cider vinegar is good for varicose veins so I've been drinking that 3 times a day and avoiding touching my penis, I havent noticed much of a change yet, and really don't want to have to go to a doctor,Any suggestions to this?

Im 23 yrs old and about a week and a half ago, i noticed a a lot of veins coming on my penis at once, on the shaft a few blue veins appearing one on the top and to top it of a vessel on the right side and top of my penis is sticking out, i touched it and its soft but they both havent gone down. I don't feel any pain as of yet but slight discomfort.Im guessing it may be swollen from masturbation but i dunno,Iv read that drinking Apple cider vinegar is good for varicose veins so I've been drinking that 3 times a day and avoiding touching my penis, I havent noticed much of a change yet, and really don't want to have to go to a doctor,Any suggestions to this?

The cider vinegar will do nothing for your condition, nor will it for varicose veins (which you don't have). Yes, you probably irritated the area from vigorous masturbation and your hands-off policy is a good one. You should continue to be hands off for at least a week after you no longer have swelling or discomfort because if you irritate it again before it's fully healed, it will most likely get worse.

The blue are actual veins, and their appearance or texture is not something you can affect by any means. What happens though is that there are lymph channels that follow mostly the same path as your blood vessels. These have no pump, and when they get irritated, they swell. This can give the appearance of bulging veins, but it's really inflamed lymph channels that are pushing the vein at the skin surface.

You don't need to go to the doctor most likely, unless you want them to prescribe a high-dose anti-inflammatory. There are many posts on this subject you can find by searching for the term "sclerosing lymphangitis" in this forum.

Report This| Share this:What is this hard "vein" and swelling on my penis?The cider vinegar will do nothing for your condition, nor will it for varicose veins (which you don't have). Yes, you probably irritated the area from vigorous masturbation and your hands-off policy is a good one. You should continue to be hands off for at least a week after you no longer have swelling or discomfort because if you irritate it again before it's fully healed, it will most likely get worse.

The blue are actual veins, and their appearance or texture is not something you can affect by any means. What happens though is that there are lymph channels that follow mostly the same path as your blood vessels. These have no pump, and when they get irritated, they swell. This can give the appearance of bulging veins, but it's really inflamed lymph channels that are pushing the vein at the skin surface.

You don't need to go to the doctor most likely, unless you want them to prescribe a high-dose anti-inflammatory. There are many posts on this subject you can find by searching for the term "sclerosing lymphangitis" in this forum.

thanks for the reply Counterso,Some of the lymph channels are not as bad but still quite prominent, is there anything i can do besides no masutrbation or sex??(Ive read on other forums, hot baths and Ibuprofen helps speed that process). Ive also started to Drink 3 tbls of Olive Oil x3 / 2 a day because i read somewhere i can speed up the process,Do you know if any of this would be effective?

thanks for your help

Thanks for your Reply!

Report This| Share this:What is this hard "vein" and swelling on my penis?thanks for the reply Counterso,Some of the lymph channels are not as bad but still quite prominent, is there anything i can do besides no masutrbation or sex??(Ive read on other forums, hot baths and Ibuprofen helps speed that process). Ive also started to Drink 3 tbls of Olive Oil x3 / 2 a day because i read somewhere i can speed up the process,Do you know if any of this would be effective?

Unfortunately as your urologist would tell you, these things resolve as mysteriously as they appear. Olive oil isn't going to help for any reason at all. A high dose of anti-inflammatories sometimes helps, but sometimes not, and shouldn't be attempted without your doctor's supervision. Hot baths don't really help because there's no pump in your lymph channels, and an inflammatory condition is a HEAT condition, so adding heat is not a good idea.

There is a product suggested in first of the Tips section of this forum which you can try and has helped speed the process for some, but even so it's something that works for some people and not for others. Your body's individual situation is going to be different than another body. There is no guaranteed accelerator, which is just something that points to being gentle with your body in the first place, and especially after the injury. It is possible that it could appear spontaneously even if you hadn't injured it from vigorous masturbation. It's just one of those things.

If you irritate the area before it's fully healed (no evidence of inflammation for at least a week), it will likely make the situation worse for longer. Your regular lymph channels rely on muscle movement to clear them, and there are no muscles in your penis. At the point they've become inflamed, you can't massage them without increasing the problem, so it's pretty much a wait-and-see kind of healing process. It can resolve as quickly as 2-3 weeks or as long as 2-3 months.

Thanks for your Reply!

Report This| Share this:What is this hard "vein" and swelling on my penis?Unfortunately as your urologist would tell you, these things resolve as mysteriously as they appear. Olive oil isn't going to help for any reason at all. A high dose of anti-inflammatories sometimes helps, but sometimes not, and shouldn't be attempted without your doctor's supervision. Hot baths don't really help because there's no pump in your lymph channels, and an inflammatory condition is a HEAT condition, so adding heat is not a good idea.

There is a product suggested in first of the Tips section of this forum which you can try and has helped speed the process for some, but even so it's something that works for some people and not for others. Your body's individual situation is going to be different than another body. There is no guaranteed accelerator, which is just something that points to being gentle with your body in the first place, and especially after the injury. It is possible that it could appear spontaneously even if you hadn't injured it from vigorous masturbation. It's just one of those things.

If you irritate the area before it's fully healed (no evidence of inflammation for at least a week), it will likely make the situation worse for longer. Your regular lymph channels rely on muscle movement to clear them, and there are no muscles in your penis. At the point they've become inflamed, you can't massage them without increasing the problem, so it's pretty much a wait-and-see kind of healing process. It can resolve as quickly as 2-3 weeks or as long as 2-3 months.

thanks again for your helpful response,Ive bought some Nurofen (Ibuprofen 200mg), i know you said go to the doctor first but I'm just gonna take my chances on it, how many tablets do you recommend taking in a day i noticed the doses must be high? (the packet recommends 6 tablets at most in a 24hr period), I'm aware its not good for my health and may have no effect.

Do erections have any impact at all (whether its negative or positive)?

other than that I've stuck to your advice thanks again for your help Counterso

Thanks for your Reply!

Report This| Share this:What is this hard "vein" and swelling on my penis?thanks again for your helpful response,Ive bought some Nurofen (Ibuprofen 200mg), i know you said go to the doctor first but I'm just gonna take my chances on it, how many tablets do you recommend taking in a day i noticed the doses must be high? (the packet recommends 6 tablets at most in a 24hr period), I'm aware its not good for my health and may have no effect.

Do erections have any impact at all (whether its negative or positive)?

other than that I've stuck to your advice thanks again for your help Counterso

Hello, I was masturbating a couple days before Christmas in the shower, and noticed a vein beneath the head of my penis, starting at the top of the shaft just beneath the head and wrapping around to the bottom of the shaft beneath the head. I've done a lot of looking around online, and am pretty sure that the above is what it is, though I'm not certain. I stopped masturbating for about a month and a half, and it maybe went down a little bit, but was still there, and so I've masturbated a couple times, trying to be gentle, but y'know. It's hard to not to, sometimes. But should I go to the doctor, and see if they refer me to a urologist or something? There's no real pain, but the fact that it's there and hasn't gone away worries me a lot, and I find myself avoiding the persuit of physical relations because I don't want to make it worst, or make the condition known. Should I really just stop touching myself for months at a time and see if it goes down, or what? Please help, thanks.

Thanks for your Reply!

Report This| Share this:What is this hard "vein" and swelling on my penis?Hello, I was masturbating a couple days before Christmas in the shower, and noticed a vein beneath the head of my penis, starting at the top of the shaft just beneath the head and wrapping around to the bottom of the shaft beneath the head. I've done a lot of looking around online, and am pretty sure that the above is what it is, though I'm not certain. I stopped masturbating for about a month and a half, and it maybe went down a little bit, but was still there, and so I've masturbated a couple times, trying to be gentle, but y'know. It's hard to not to, sometimes. But should I go to the doctor, and see if they refer me to a urologist or something? There's no real pain, but the fact that it's there and hasn't gone away worries me a lot, and I find myself avoiding the persuit of physical relations because I don't want to make it worst, or make the condition known. Should I really just stop touching myself for months at a time and see if it goes down, or what? Please help, thanks.

You are correct in your correlation of the "vein" which is really a lymph channel being the same as the situation described earlier in this thread. The same advice applies to you. ABSOLUTELY NO MORE masturbation or intercourse until 1 week after the condition has resolved itself completely.

You do not likely need to see the doctor. They will not provide you with any different advice than what you have read above. And yes, only a urologist would have a useful opinion, not a general practitioner, so save yourself $200 for the time being.

It will likely take anywhere from 2 weeks to 3 months to go away on its own.

Thanks for your Reply!

Report This| Share this:What is this hard "vein" and swelling on my penis?You are correct in your correlation of the "vein" which is really a lymph channel being the same as the situation described earlier in this thread. The same advice applies to you. ABSOLUTELY NO MORE masturbation or intercourse until 1 week after the condition has resolved itself completely.

You do not likely need to see the doctor. They will not provide you with any different advice than what you have read above. And yes, only a urologist would have a useful opinion, not a general practitioner, so save yourself $200 for the time being.

It will likely take anywhere from 2 weeks to 3 months to go away on its own.

its moving closer to 2months and not much difference, still prominent dark veins and enlarged lymph channels, which recently have started to become firm which worrys me, where before they felt soft.My penis is quite hard when flaccid. And slight pain. These symptoms come and go frequently. Out of concern after giving it time to heal and seeing not much of results, i went to my GP and unlucky for me the symptoms were not overly visible he didn't prescribe anything after i discussed everything mentioned above and checked my penis, he said its all perfectly normal and it will heal on its on and nothing can speed it up, just looking at my current symptoms is this all ok as a second opinion??thankswill

its moving closer to 2months and not much difference, still prominent dark veins and enlarged lymph channels, which recently have started to become firm which worrys me, where before they felt soft.My penis is quite hard when flaccid. And slight pain. These symptoms come and go frequently. Out of concern after giving it time to heal and seeing not much of results, i went to my GP and unlucky for me the symptoms were not overly visible he didn't prescribe anything after i discussed everything mentioned above and checked my penis, he said its all perfectly normal and it will heal on its on and nothing can speed it up, just looking at my current symptoms is this all ok as a second opinion??thankswill

The urologist next door (I know that sounds funny) told me that sclerosing lymphangitis can persist for days, weeks, or months, and there's really very little to be done about it. There's no "treatment" as such, although sometimes they will try high dosage of anti-inflammatory medicine (like ibuprofen) for several weeks, but that only helps some of the time. The remedy he says to expect, is time. He said that the symptoms most frequently disappear as suddenly as they appear, and the only thing that he can confidently recommend is to not irritate/stimulate the area further with handling, masturbation, or intercourse. He said there is no "cause" and it's entirely because your lymphatic system has no pump that it does not resolve quickly in most cases.

I don't know if you tried any of the cream recommended in one of the resource links, but it does help break up congestion in soft tissue and reduce inflammation and can facilitate a faster resolution to any kind of tissue congestion or inflammatory condition, such as what you're describing.

The appearance of the veins may be just a symptom of the inflamed lymph channels which tend to run very close to one another, and the pressure of one is physically pushing the other to more prominence.

You can certainly see a urologist about your situation if you want, but you may save $200 if you know he will only be able to recommend what has been related above.

Thanks for your Reply!

Report This| Share this:What is this hard "vein" and swelling on my penis?The urologist next door (I know that sounds funny) told me that sclerosing lymphangitis can persist for days, weeks, or months, and there's really very little to be done about it. There's no "treatment" as such, although sometimes they will try high dosage of anti-inflammatory medicine (like ibuprofen) for several weeks, but that only helps some of the time. The remedy he says to expect, is time. He said that the symptoms most frequently disappear as suddenly as they appear, and the only thing that he can confidently recommend is to not irritate/stimulate the area further with handling, masturbation, or intercourse. He said there is no "cause" and it's entirely because your lymphatic system has no pump that it does not resolve quickly in most cases.

I don't know if you tried any of the cream recommended in one of the resource links, but it does help break up congestion in soft tissue and reduce inflammation and can facilitate a faster resolution to any kind of tissue congestion or inflammatory condition, such as what you're describing.

The appearance of the veins may be just a symptom of the inflamed lymph channels which tend to run very close to one another, and the pressure of one is physically pushing the other to more prominence.

You can certainly see a urologist about your situation if you want, but you may save $200 if you know he will only be able to recommend what has been related above.

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